Words and photos by JK
We left Chula Vista and trundled along to Hwy54 east to Hwy125 to the I8 east to Yuma AZ. WOW WOW WOW! When I was planning this trip I guess I had never skipped over a section of the map as quickly as I had the I8 from San Diego to El Centro and Yuma. Why? Because I had ridden the I1o parallel to I8 from Phoenix to LA and quite frankly if you enjoy chewing tin foil or following Winnebagos with 85 year old drivers on turned-down pace-makers then take your zimmer-frame and walk that motorway. To assume that this would be the same was a mistake. The rock formations and scenery from this I8 road are unrepeatable must-sees. The heat HAS to be experienced in its own right from a crotch-rocket in full leathers with a pillion. Simply insert your head into your microwave and set on full for 90 minutes. Enjoy. How on earth Jax survived is beyond human comprehension. Me? I'm a duffer imune to all hardships bar mosquitos! Was it worth it? I would die before I forgo that ride. Regrets? Not stopping for photos every 2 minutes! We had a good burger at La Posta where an off-road biker confirmed Jay's suggestion that Tecate was a better border crossing, arrived in El Centro for fuel, a cool drink and friendly service and set our heat-blistered horizons for Yuma AZ. We stopped part way for water and I snapped the Sahara style sand dunes. Some trucker sought shade under a tree. If you can imagine a traffic jam of SUVs on Mercury drive to Yuma. The surface temperature on the side of Mercury closest to the Sun reaches 427 degrees celsius, a temperature hot enough to melt tin (Ha! Nothing to my leathers!). We cooled off in some fast-food joint in Yuma and set off again to ride two-lane Hwy 95 the 81 miles through flat, hot desert to Quartzsite. More fuel, a spectacular sunset and bone weary we set off for the last 35 mile ride in the dark to Parker. At a cheap motel we sank into a swimming pool and stared at a huge full moon. We didn't make it to Lake Havasu and London Bridge so that would be Saturday's ride.
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